1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to file transfer systems and methods for broadcasting files from file-sending communication processing systems to a plurality of receiving communication processing systems via relaying communication processing systems, and to a storage media for storing file transfer programs.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the prior art for communications between communication processing systems such as personal computers and work stations, the file to be broad-cast is sent from a sending communication processing system to each of a plurality of receiving communication processing systems.
Therefore, the prior art technique mentioned above, which involves sending a file to each of a plurality of receiving communication processing systems even in cases where the receiving systems are located in one remote area, incurs a heavy communications cost.
As a solution to the problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Disclosure HEI 3-211646 suggests installing a relaying communication processing system in one remote area in cases where a plurality of receiving communication processing systems are located therein, and describes a technique of transferring a file and the destinations thereof (broadcast-receiving sides) from a sending communication processing system to the relaying communication processing system so that the relaying communication processing system sends the file to the communication processing systems in the area based on the received information on the destinations.
The technique described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Disclosure HEI 3-211646, however, has the problem of significantly increasing the processing time necessary for transferring the file, since the relaying communication processing system, installed between the sending communication processing system and the plurality of receiving communication processing systems, is put under a focused heavy load due to sending of the file from the relaying communication processing system to all the receiving communication processing systems.
A solution to the foregoing problem, which suggests installing an increased number of relaying communication processing systems, results in a heavier load on the sending communication processing system, and thus in a significantly increased processing time necessary for transferring the file as well, since the sending communication processing system must transfer the file and the destinations thereof to all the relaying communication processing systems.